Working for Smiles
“I’m tired of doing dishes!” complained my daughter recently after I assigned her the backbreaking chore. I could relate. I feel like I do dishes at least once a day, and sometimes I just skitter by the stack of soiled dinnerware and think, “Someone else ought to wash them for a change!”
Rarely I respond to my children’s complaints with grace and wisdom, but this time the Holy Spirit was with me. I joined her at the sink and offered to help. Then I told her what motivates me to keep doing dishes even after I’m exhausted. I said, “Think about the smile on your mother’s face after all the dishes are clean. That’s what motivates me.”
Do you think your father in heaven loves you so much that he smiles over you? I do. That beautiful song we sing, “The Blessing”, reminds us of this, quoting Numbers 6:24-26:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
may the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
may the Lord look with favor on you
and give you peace.
What motivates you to do good works? Is it fear of consequences of disobeying (we won’t have clean dishes to use tomorrow!)? Is it the feeling of satisfaction of a job well done (look how sparkly those dishes are!)? Maybe it’s just habitual (I don’t even remember doing the dishes!).
When I was first learning to love Jesus, I had to unlearn not just habits of disobedience, but also selfish motivations for obedience. My sin nature craves approval and acceptance from others. I possess an urge to feel important or validated which often leads me to good works, but also to sin. The reason we obey must be at least as important as the act of obedience.
I remember encountering Hebrews 12, which lists reasons why we should obey God:
the “cloud of witnesses surrounding us,” (v.1)
the example that Jesus set, obeying even unto death (vv. 2-4)
that God loves us as sons (vv. 5-11)
And there are several other passages in the New Testament that remind us why we should do good works. A sampling:
Because God loved us (1 John 4:11, Rom 12:1)
A crown that lasts forever (1 Cor 9:25)
For God’s glory (1 Cor 10:31)
To serve God (Col 3:23)
I think these can all be summarized by Jesus in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” It’s hard to imagine, but what if you could actually see the smile on God’s face when you are finally in your permanent home? After all is said and done, he will look into your eyes with joy because he loved you through it all. What is more rewarding than seeing God face to face? Isn’t his smile his glory?
The Lord delights in us (Ps 18:19), and he wants us to delight in him (Ps 37:4). That is why obedient Christians are to be filled with gratitude and joy, not guilt and shame. He wants to shine his face on us and our face to reflect that shine right back.
So next time you agonize over the chore of doing the right thing, think about God’s glory, and you might be more motivated to persevere. What does his glory look like? It looks something like your fellow believers loving and accepting you no matter what. Simply, it’s a smile. Why else would the greatest command be to love God and others as yourself?
